Garment bag



J. D. HARGIS I Jan. 2, 1940.

GARMENT BAG Filed Aug. 9, 1938 Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE GARMENT BAG Jane D. Bargis, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 9, 1938, Serial No. 223,930"

\ 2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to bags for maintaining hangersupported garments in a clean or dust-proof condition. More particularlythe invention relates to that type of garment bag which is adapted to behung from'a horizontal rod in a closet or like storage space andcomprises a rectangular fiber-board top, a rectangular fiber-boardbottom, and a front, a back and sides of thin impervious transparentmaterial such as Pliofllm"or Cellophane and also comprises beneath themargins of the top a rectangular wire frame having a centrally disposedcross-piece which is bent up and down to form a horizontal series ofU-shaped loops for receiving the hooks of the garment hangers.

In a bag of this type it has heretofore been customary to employ asingle externally disposed hook which is pivotally connected to, andextends upwardly from, the central portion of the cross-piece and isadapted to be placed in hooked relation with the closet rod in order tosupport the bag in a hanging manner. In practice it has been found thata garment bag having a single hook is objectionable for several reasons.In the first place when the bag is completely filled with garments theweight of the garments near the front and back causes the ends of thecross piece to bend downwardly to such an extent that they distort thecentral portion of the frame so that it does not properly support thefiber-board top and the latter, as a result sags and in some instancescracks. Secondly, when garments are suspended or supported from one andonly of the loop forming cross-piece the frame and top are caused to betilted downwardly and as a result the front, back and sides aresubjected to such buckling adjacent to the top that they sometimes crackand thus end or materially decrease the life of the bag.

One object of the invention is to provide a garment bag which is animprovement upon, and eliminatesthe objectionable features of, thesingle hook type of bag. In general the improved bag comprises a pair ofhooks which are pivotally connected to, and extend upwardly from, theends of the cross-piece and serve when in hooked relation with a ,closetrod effectively and emcientlyto prevent distortion of the frame when thebag is filled; with..garments and in addition prevents or precludes anytilting of the frame and top and resultant cracking or buckling of thefront, back and, sides of the bag when garments are hung from one end ofthe loop equipped cross-piece only.

Another object of the invention isto provide advantages andcharacteristics of the present garment bag will be apparent from aconsideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals ofreference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a garment hanger embodying theinvention in suspended relation with respect to a horizontally extendingcloset rod;

Figure 2 is an inverted horizontal sectional view showing theconstruction, design and arrangement of the wire formed frame whichunderlies the margins of, and. serves to support against bending, thetop of the bag;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view of the topportion of the bag; and

Figure 4 is a perspective of one of the rubberwashers which serve toplug or close the eyelets against the passage of dust therethrough.

The bag which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferredembodiment of the invention. It is adapted to be hung or suspended froma horizontally extending rod R in a closet v or like storage space andserves as a container A or receptacle for housing garments on hangers Hand to maintain the garments in a clean or dust-proof condition. As themain parts thereof, the bag comprises a rectangular top 5, a rectangularbottom 6, a front I, a back 8, a pair of sides 9, a frame 10, and a pairof hooks II. The top- 5 is formed of fiber-board or like material and issupported from the rod R by the frame Ill and the hooks II, ashereinafter described. It is flat, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and ispreferably faced with sheets i2 of Pliofilm? or like thin impervioustransparent material.

The bottom 6 is the same in size as the top 5 and is likewise formed offiber-board. It is faced with Pliofilm or like material and is adaptedto close the bottom of the garment compartment within the bag. Thefront, back and sides are formed of Pliofilm or like material and aresuitably joined or connected at their upper margins to the margins ofthe top 5. The bottom margins of the front, back and sides are suitablysecured to the margins of the bottom 6. The side margins of the front Iare connected by way of seams l3 to the front margins of the sides 9 andthe side margins of the back 8 are joined by seams l4 to'the rearmargins of the sides. One of the sides is provided with a verticallyextending centrally disposed full length slit I5 which permits access tobe had to the interior of the bag. A hookless or zipper-type fastener I6is applied to, and serves to close, the slit. When the fastener I6 isopen the garments may be inserted into or removed from the bag interior.

The frame I0 is rectangular, as shown in Figure 2, and is slightlysmaller than the top 5. It

underlies the margins of the top and fits within and abuts against theupper margins of the front, back and sides of the bag. The frame ispreferably formed of wire and consists of a pair of side pieces H, apair of end pieces 3, and a cross-piece I9. The end pieces l8 of theframe extend between and are connected by integral bends to the ends ofthe side pieces and serve to hold the side pieces in laterally spacedrelation. The cross-piece I9 is formed separately from, and is centrallydisposed with respect to, the side pieces. It is formed of wire of thesame gauge as the side and end pieces of the frame and has the centralportion thereof bent up and down, as shown in Figure 3, to formv aplurality of U-shaped loops 20. The latter are adapted to receive andhold in laterally spaced relation the hooks of the garment hangers H.The upper portions ,of the loops abut against the central portion of thetop 5 of the bag and serve to hold such portion against sagging. Theends of the cross-piece l9 are bent upwardly and then downwardly to forma pair ofupwardly extending inverted U-shaped loops 2|. These loopsproject upwardly through a pair of eyelets 22 in the top 5 and serve asanchoring means for the hooks II. The eyelets extend through holes 23 insaid top and are disposed a slight distance inwardly of the centralportions of the side pieces ll of the frame Ill. The hooks II are formedof wire and have the lower ends thereof bent around the upper ends ofthe loops 2| so that they are pivotally connected to the-loops andextend lengthwise of the side pieces of the frame. They are adapted tobe hooked onto the closet rod R, as shown in Figure 1, and serve when inhooked relation with the rod to suspend the bag in an upstandingposition. The extremities of the crosspiece l9 extend outwardly from theinverted U- shaped loops 2| and are bent around the central portions ofthe side pieces I! so that the crosspiece is fixedly secured in placewith respect to the frame. The central portions of the side pieces IT,as shown in Figures 2 and 3, are bent or struck downwardly to formdepressions 24 for the ends of the cross-piece I 9. These depressionsserve to space the bent extremities of the cross-piece from thesuperincumbent or superjacent marginal portions of the top so that theydo not bear against or distort in any way such top portions. Byemploying two hooks II and having them located at the ends of thecrosspiece l9 instead of at the central portion of the latter, the frameand top are effectively held against tilting when garments are hung fromone end of the cross-piece only. By preventing tilting of the top whenthe bag is in suspended relation with respect to the cross-rod R, therecan be no buckling or cracking of the front, back and sides of the bagand the life of the bag as a whole is thus materially prolonged. Anotheradvantage of employing. two hooks at the ends of the cross-piece [9instead of a single hook at the middle or central portion of such pieceis that the weight of the garments when the bag is full cannot distortthe frame I 0 and the latter efficiently supports the top and hold thesame fiat. By preventing any bending of the top, cracking of the top isavoided as well as buckling and resultant cracking of the front, backand sides of the bag. Should heavy garments be suspended from thecentral portion of the cross-piece any downward deflection of thecross-piece will" not affect or distort the side pieces of the framebecause the latter are at all times maintained in their proper positionby the supporting action of the two hooks ll. Y

In order to seal or plug the eyelets 22 against the passage of dusttherethrough into the interior of the bag two washers 25 are provided.These washers are formed of rubber or any other like suita-ble elasticmaterial and are mounted on the central portions of the invertedU-shaped are dished or cup-shaped, as shown in Figure 4, and have slits26 in the central portions thereof for accommodating the loops. Theslits terminate 1 in round end holes 21 which are the same in size as,and receive the side pieces of, the loops 2| of the loops 2|, as shownin Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. By having the washers downwardlydished or cup-shaped the eyelets are effectively sealed. When thewashers are in place the bent lower ends of the hooks ll overlie thewashers and assist in holding the latter in sealed relation with theeyelets.

To install the bag it is only necessary to hook" the hooks ll around thecloset rod. When the hooks are in place the bag, as hereinbeforedescribed, is supported in an upstanding position and the cross-piece IQof the frame is main tained horizontally. When it is desired to use thebag, the fastener I6 is opened and garments on hangers are inserted intothe bag and the hangers hooked onto the U-shaped loops 20.

There hereinbefore described bag may be manufactured at a comparativelylow cost and is both practical and durable because of the double hookarrangement which serves to prevent transverse tilting of the top 5.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters loops 2| at the ends of the cross-piece l9. They rodand comprising a substantially rectangular flat top with holes in thecentral portions of its longitudinal margins, and also comprising afront, back and sides depending from the top and formed of thin flexiblematerial, a rectangular frame underlying the margins of the top andembodying a centrally disposed wire-formed cross-piece having thecentral portion thereof bent up and down to form a series of U-shaped 10loops positioned adjacent to the under face of the top and adapted toreceive the hooks of garment hangers, and also having its endextremities connected to the central portions of the side pieces of theframe and the portions thereof immediate- 15 ly inwards'of said endextremities bent to form inverted loops projecting upwardly above thefirst mentioned loops and through the holes respectively, and a pair oflaterally spaced hooks connected pivotally to,the inverted loops above20 the top and adapted to be hooked onto the rod.-

2, As a new article of manufacture, a garment bag adapted to besuspended from a horizontal rod and comprising a substantiallyrectangular flat top with holes in the central portions of its 25longitudinal margins, and also comprising a and down to form a series ofU-shaped loops positioned adjacent to the under face of the top andadapted to receive the hooks of garment hangers, and also having its endextremities connected to the central portions of the side pieces 10 ofthe frame and the portions thereof immediately inwards of said endextremities bent to form inverted loops projecting upwardly above thefirst mentioned loops and through the holes respectively, a pair oflaterally spaced hooks connect- 15 ed pivotally to the inverted loopsabove the top and adapted to be hooked onto the rod, and thin. centrallyslitted, hole engaging and sealing washers of elastic materal mounted onthe portions 20 of the inverted loops which project upwardly beyond theholes and having apertures at the ends of the slits for receiving theside portions of said inverted loops.

JANE D. HARGIS. 26

